One
thing I have always been embarrassed with as an adult, has been my
smile. Growing up, I had braces and even the ugly headgear. As an adult,
I have had yellowed teeth. I don't drink coffee. Never had the taste
for it. I also do not like soda. I will tolerate it for special
occasions, but only Dr. Pepper or Sprite if I have to. Or maybe a Big
Red... But I sure did drink my sweet tea. Being the southern girl that I
am, I like tea with my sugar. But it has a bad side effect - it
discolors your teeth. Which is where I am now. Finding that brighter
smile with Smile Brilliant!
*Disclaimer:
I was sent this kit for free in exchange for my honest review for the
product. I was not paid or otherwise endorsed. This was through my
association with US Family Guide.*
I brush my teeth regularly.
Usually,
three times a day. And I have tried using toothpaste with whitening in
it. That has not done anything to help. I have also tried whitening
strips without much success. Now I could see a dentist, but I didn't
have much time to do so when I had insurance. When I had the time, I
wasn't working and had no insurance. Hard place to be in. So how else
might one whiten their teeth? Some myths are that teeth whiteners are
more likely to damage your teeth. Studies actually show that lab direct
whitening are safe and effective with little to no side effects.
Does teeth whitening actually make them pearly white?
Well,
no. Most likely not. Teeth whiteners are to remove stains from your
teeth, not to totally whiten. I know, misleading name. So don't be
surprised if they don't actually look pearly white. They might, but they
might not. Still, removing stains is better for your teeth and your
look.
Will I have instant results?
No.
Like anything worth doing or achieving in life, it takes time. Results
are not instantaneously available. And if you remember, you probably
have years worth of stains on your teeth. Can't expect them to disappear
in a moment. This is not a magical wand fix.
Aren't strips better for the job?
Sure.
If you don't mind stripping the enamel off your teeth, leaving them
vulnerable and causing yourself pain later on down the road of life.
Using this gel method is safer as it removes stains, not strip your
teeth and then bleach them with chemicals.
So how does all this work?
Let's look into trying out this teeth whitening kit.
First off, you get a kit. The kit has gels for whitening and for
sensitivity. It comes with plenty of detailed instructions to follow
along with. And then the fun part - the molds and plaster. You have to
take molds of your teeth to get customized whitening trays to apply the gels with. These have to be done precisely. Gotta admit, my gag reflex was killing me on the lower one.
The
kit came with detailed instructions. We knew exactly what to do and how
long to time the molds for. The plaster can be a little messy on your
fingers.
Once
the molds were done, I set them aside to dry overnight. The next
morning they were ready to be put into the envelope with my consent
card. You have to fill out the consent card as they are not dentists and
you have to be prepared for adverse reactions if you have not consulted
with a dentist ahead of time or if you are overly sensitive to the
products.
You might not succeed the first time, but that's okay!
Sadly,
after being received, I received another email that informed me that my
molds were not good enough. I didn't realize the molds needed to dry in
my mouth, so I did them a little longer this second time. One thing I
felt they should have told me was what was wrong with them. Then, inside
the second molds package they sent, they included a card that explained
why the first molds would not work. Mine were distorted. Looks like I
dragged my teeth. So we tried for a round two session. We didn't think
the first upper mold worked well enough. So glad they sent extras of the
casting materials. My husband set the alarm for 4 minutes this time
instead of 3 and we got the molds ready for shipment!
The
whitening trays came pretty quickly. I like how the company emails you
to let you know when they received and shipped everything. The whitening
trays are flexible.
(You can see the yellow lines I had before in this picture)
Not some hard, plastic piece that you jam into your
mouth.
My
husband helped me with timing and prepping. I had to wipe my teeth and
get them as dry as I can. Trickier than I thought. This is best done
right before bed. You can't eat or drink for 30 minutes after the
process is done and the process takes about an hour minimum.
Be prepared for discomfort initially.
My
gums, just above my teeth, were extremely sensitive when I first put
these trays on. I wanted to take them off almost as soon as I put it on!
But in 10 minutes or less, it was fine. After my time ran up, I rinsed and dried out the trays and we switched it to the desensitizing gel. This too was slightly irritating, but not as bad. About 20 minutes later the process was done.
I
found that the second whitening round worked a lot better. It was
irritating at first, but quickly settled down. My teeth felt sensitive
for things like brushing later on, but not in too bad a way. Within 7-14 uses (depending on the density of stains you are removing), you should be seeing results. I know that after my 14th use, my teeth looked a less yellowed. I feel better about smiling for pictures!
The
system is great overall. I think it works really well and is a
comfortable way to get whiter teeth. I'd love to hear what you think,
however. Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts below.
If you are wanting your own kit, or maybe you already have one, but need more supplies - I have discounts for my readers as well! Use the coupon codes below and enjoy the savings!
Coupon codes:
foreveranerdmom20 - 20% off store wide!
foreveranerdmom30 - 30% off Whitening Kits!